Apparatus for feeding fine fuel to furnaces.



No. 732,031. PATBNTED JUNE so, 1903. J. E. BALDWIN, P. N. VAN ZANDT 8;A. v. T. DAY. APPARATUS FOR FEEDING FINE FUEL T0 FURNACES.

APPLLOATION FILED JUNE 24, 1901.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

WV W Af/ameya PATENTED JUNE 30, 1903.

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING FINE FUEL T0 FURNACES.

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J. B; BALDWIN, F. N. VAN ZANDT & A. V. T. DAY. APPARATUS FOR FEEDINGFINE FUEL T0 FURNACES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 24, 1901.

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N0 MODEL.

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No. 732,031. PATBNTED JUNE 30, 1903.

J. E. BALDWIN, F. N. VAN ZANDTA: A. V. T. DAY.

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING FINE FUEL TO FURNACES.

APPLIUATION FILED JUNE 24, 1901.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

N0 MODEL.

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UNITED ST TES Patented .Tune 30, 190i PATENT OFFICE.

.IAMEs BALDWIN, FREDERICK N. VAN ZANDT, AND ALBERT v. T. DAY, OFBROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNORS TO THE IDEAL FUEL-FEEDER COMPANY, OFBROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING FINE FUEL T O FURNACES.

SPECIFICATIGN forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 732,031, dated June30, 1903.

Application filed June 24. 1901. Serial No.65,809. (No model.)

To all 10/1/0777, it may concern:

Be it known that we, JAMES E. BALDWIN, FREDERICK N.VAN ZANDT, and ALBERTV. T. DAY, citizens of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in thecounty of Kings and Stateof' New York,have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Apparatus for Feeding Fine Fuel to Furnaces; andwe do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to improvements in that class of automatic stokersin which the fuel is reduced to a pulverized condition, mixed with air,and discharged into a combus tionchamber and in which a preliminarybreaking or grinding apparatus is employed,- together with pulverizing,aerating, and dis- 2o charging apparatus. The function of thepreliminary breaking or grinding apparatus in this class of stokers isto break or grind the fuel and then feed it to the pulverizing apparatus. The difficulties which have arisen in the past in connection withsuch breaking or grinding apparatus are as follows: first, clogging ofcoal when wet; second, inability to redues to a sufficient degree offineness, result-' ingin the consumption ofan excessiveamount of powerin the pulverizing apparatus; third, difficulty of controlling theamount of fuel delivered by the breaking or grinding apparatus to thepulverizer; fourth, breakage orstoppage resulting from the presence ofhard for- 5 eign substance, such as iron, &c., in the fuel and thedifficulty of removing the same when lodged in the breaking or grindingapparatus.

The object of our invention is to provide a breaking and grindingapparatus in which these difficulties will be overcome.

In general terms our invention may be described as follows: Initialpositive breaking or crushing apparatus is provided, communicating withwhich is a secondary positive 5 grinding mechanism for further reducingthe fuel to the finest degree practically attainable before delivery tothe pulverizing apparatus and for feeding the same thereto by positiveaction. Interposed between the initial breaker and the secondary grinderis an adjustable feed-regulating device for controlling the amount offuel delivered from the breaker to the secondary grinder and thence tothe pulverizer. The breaking and grinding apparatus is provided with anouter casing comprising separable parts normally forming part of thecasing proper, but adapted to be removed from their normal positions andthe casing thereby opened in order to secure access to the innermechanism for the purpose of removing foreign substances.

The mechanism and construction disclosed in the following descriptionand claims and illustrated by' the accompanying drawings represent thebest mode in which we have applied the principle of our invention.

In said drawings, Figure l is an end elevation of our improved breaking,grinding, and feeding apparatus. Fig. 2'is a vertical central sectionalview of the same and from the same point of view as that of Fig. 1. Fig.3 shows a similar section taken on a plane at right angles to the planeof the section in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the apparatus.Fig. 5 shows a horizontal section on line 5 5 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 shows ahorizontal section On line 6 6 of Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is a detail viewshowing the action of the teeth-of the grinding-rings. Fig. 7 is anenlarged detailsection through the grinding-rings. Fig. 8 is a verticalcentral longitudinal sectional view showing the breaking,feed-regulating, grinding, pnlverizing and aerating, and ejectingapparatus of the entire machine. 1

Following is a specific description of the invention as embodied in theconstruction illusportions of .the casing are provided, respectively,with horizontal extensions a a one above the other, connected byvertical shafts I00 j and base portions of the casing.

or pins a a upon which are pivotally mounted the lateral wings A A,which form when closed a part of the wall of the casing. These wingshave their upper and lower edges rabbeted to engage rabbeted edges ofthe top The vertical edges of the wings are likewise rabbeted to engagesimilar rabbeted edges of the vertical webs a a so that when these wingsare in closed position, as shown in the drawings,

the casing-walls form a complete circle in cross-section, as if formedof one piece. This is shown in Fig. 5 and Fig. 6. The wings can be swungoutward to give access to the interior whenever this is desirable. Inorder to lock the wings A A rigidlyin their closed positions, we provideeach of said wings at the end opposite the hinge with a stud orprojection a, and we provide the adjacent vertical web a with pivotedlocking-levers a a having locking-recesses to fit over said studs (1 andhold the wings rigidly in place. We do not, however, limit ourselves tothis particular form of locking device.

The casing A is provided about midway of its height with aninwardly-extending annular flange a above which the casing is providedwith a series of breaker teeth or ribs a, said ribs extending atintervals all the way around the interior of the casing. We prefer toform these ribs of different lengths, as is usual in such cases, aportion of the ribs extending substantially the entire distance from theflange a to the top of the casing and others extending upward onlya'portion of the distance. Each of said ribsis so formed that its radialdepth decreases from its top toward its bottom, as shown in Fig. 2.

The annular flange a is provided at two opposite points with aperturesa, (see Fig. 5,) said apertures being formed in this instance adjacentto the vertical webs a a each of which is provided with an aperture communicating with the interior of the casing and in line with itsrespectively adjacent aperture a and each of said webs is provided witha bracket-lug a, (see Fig. 3,) the upper edge of which is in line withthe lower edge of the said aperture in the web. In each of saidapertures in the webs is fitted a slide or horizontal plate 0, the upperface of which is flush 'with the upper face of the annular flange a Eachof said slides C is provided with a slot c, and a bolt 0 extends throughsaid slot and through the bracket-lug a Said bolt is provided with awing-nut 0 serving to clamp the slide.- By loosening the wing-nut theslide can be pushed in or drawn out, and thus made to partially orwholly 'close the aperture a formed by the cutting away of flange aThese slides C 0 will be adjusted so as to regu late the apertures 01,and thus control the feed of the machine, as will be hereinafter further pointed out.

The lower portion of the casing A is provided with an upwardly-extendingcylindrical hollow boss D, preferably formed integrally therewith, andprovided at its upper and lower ends with ball-races b and e,respectively. The revoluble cone B has a cylindrical recess in its lowerpart to fit down over the boss D, and the upper end of said recess isprovided with a ball-race b, and balls d are inserted between theraces 1) and b, as shown.

. B represents the driving-shaft of the cone. This shaft is rigidlysecured to the upper portion of the cone in this instance by having ashoulder abutting against theupper end of the recess in the cone and anut clamped rigidly upon the upper end of the shaft B, which is threadedfor the purpose. The parts may also be keyed or otherwise securedtogether, if desired. The shaft B extends downward through the hollowboss D and is provided at its lower end with a worm-wheel E, said wheelbeing furnished with a ballrace e, balls (1 being inserted between the isaid ball-race e and the ball-race e at the lower end of the boss D. Theworm-wheel E is preferably secured to the shaft 13 by means of a spline,so as to be capable of slight vertical movement thereon, and the lowerend of said shaft is threaded and provided with adjusting and securingnuts, as shown, in order to take up wear in the bearings whenevernecessary.

The rotatable cone B is provided with a series of breaker teeth or webs17 These ro-' tary breaker-teeth and the stationary breakerteeth a areso constructed that they have their greatest clearance at the top andtheir smallest clearance at the bottom, which latter clearance is aboutone-half inch. The

lower ends of certain of the breaker-teeth b of the cone (or the lowerends of all of said teeth) are provided with radial projections, whichwe term' sweeps b since their function is to sweep or carry the crushedmaterial around upon the horizontal flange a until it drops through oneor the other of the adjustable apertures a in said flange.

Below the flange a we provide what We term the secondary grinding andpositive feeding devices. These devices consist of two grinding-rings Fand G, the former secured to the casing and the latter secured to thecone in the same horizontal plane. The ring F is provided With a seriesof inclined teeth or serrations f, and the ring G'is provided with asimilar series of teeth or serrations g, inclined in the oppositedirection from those of the ring F, the construction being such thatwhen the cone is revolved the teeth of the two rings will have ashearing action and at the same time a downward positive feeding action,as is illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 7. The teeth f and g are alsoof greater depth at their upper ends than at their lower ends, so thatthe spaces or notches in the grinding-rings and between the said teethdecrease in depth from top to bottom, and thus positively prevent anyparticles falling through between the grindingrings F and G until saidparticles have been reduced to a certain definite degree of fineness.This construction enables us to effect a fine reduction, and at the sametime the downward-shearing action of the opposing teeth of the twogrinding-rings produces a positive feed of the material whether dry orwet, so that there can be no clogging of the machine.

Below the grinding-rings F and G the casing is provided with an annularspace (0 and the base of the casing is provided with a vertical aperturea, communicating at its upper end with the annular space a and forming adischarge-channel through which the ground material can be discharged.

The cone Bis provided below the grindingrings F and G with a series ofradial sweeps 1), preferably formed integrally with a ring 12 secured tothe cone by means of bolts, as shown, said sweeps being arranged torotate in the annular space 61 just referred to, and conduct thematerial to the discharge-channel a, through which it drops.

The lower part of the casing is provided with a worm-shaft H, having aworm H thereon engaging the worm-wheel E, and said shaft ticles whichthen fall upon the horizontal flange a of the outer casing. Theseparticles are then carried around by the sweeps b of the cone until theyare brought over one or the other of the regulated apertures a in saidannular flange, whereupon they drop through said apertures to thesecondary grinding and positive feeding apparatus below. Here thecrushed particles are further-ground between the teeth of the opposedgrindingrings F and G, as before described, until reduced substantiallyto the fineness of coarse salt or granulated sugar, after which the material is discharged through the channel a by means of the sweeps Z1, asbefore described. The action of the machine is very rapid and on accountof its positive feeding action, as described in connection with therings F and G, it is enabled to grind and discharge a very largequantity of material. Since the opposed sets of teeth in either thebreaking or grinding apparatus serve to reduce the material by'mutualand reciprocal action, each set of teeth affordingat once a crushingforce upon the material and a resistance to the crushing force of itsopposed set, the opposed sets of teeth jointly may be called reciprocalsets, and either of the opposed sets may be termed the reciprocal of theother. Likewise the two principal parts or main members of the entirebreaking and grinding mechanismto wit, the revoluble and grindingmachine proper is preferably supported upon a pulverizing-chamber K, asshown in Fig. 8. From the channel (1 the ground fuel falls into thevertical projecting trough a, mounted on the end of thepulverizing-chamber K. The trough a conveys the said fuel to theaperture (1 through which it passes into the pulverizing-chamher. Thispulverizing-chamber has its main body formed substantially in the shapeof a barrel, being circular in cross-section and of greater diameter inthe center of its length than at the extremities. The interior surfaceof the casing K is preferably serrated or roughened, forming minutespaces between said serrations, in which the material can lodge. Thematerial thus lodged protects the inner surface of thepulverizing-chamher from the abrasive action of the rotating coal andalso presents an abrasive surface which facilitates furtherpulverization.

The casing K is provided with a central shaft L, extending through thesame and provided with a series of radial arms m, each carrying at itsouter end an adjustable blade M, secured to the arm by a set-screw m orother fastening device, said blades being adjustable radially and alsoupon their central axes.

At one end of the pulverizing chamber or casing and communicatingtherewith is an annular trough N, provided with a tangentialdischarge-aperture, which is connected by suitab e means with thefurnace. Said discharge-aperture and furnace connection are not shown.The shaftLis provided with a series of ejector-blades 0 within the saidannular trough for the purpose of creating a blast through thepulverizing-chamber to withdraw the aerated coal therefrom into saidtrough N and to eject the mixture through the discharge-aperture and furnace:

connection aforesaid into the furnace.

Reduction by direct action such as takes place in positive breakers andgrinders is generally recognized to be much more efficient than theindirect action of attrition. Therefore, in the class of automaticstokers defined hereinbefore it is desirable to reduce the fuel to asfine a degree as practicable in the preliminary breaking or grindingappa ratus and before delivery to the pulverizing apparatus. This isalso desirable, because the time as well as the work required topulverize the coal in the pulverizing apparatus is proportional to theaverage size of the coal fed to it,and the output capacity of thepulverizer varies inversely as the size of the coal which it receivesfrom the preliminary reducer. Heretofore the degree of reductionattainable in practice in the preliminary positive reducing apparatushas been limited by the following conditions, to wit: positivedisintegrating apparatus when adapted to reduce the coal to a very finedegree must also be designed in such manner as to exert upon the coal incourse of reduction a positive feeding or conveying action in order toovercome the tendency to congestion of the coal in the apparatus,particularly when in a wet condition. Heretofore this positive feedingor conveying action of the preliminary positive reducer, and hence thefine degree of reduction attainable only in conjunction with such afeeding or conveying action, has been prohibited by reason of thedifficulty of regulating the amount of fuel delivered by the same, suchregulation being necessary in order to conform to the varying demand ofthe furnace. The forcing action of a positive feeding reducer such, asreferred to precludes the regulation of its output at the point ofdelivery, while the coal at the intake is not sufficiently fine oruniform in grade to permit of an even regulation at that point. It ispossible to regulate the output of such positive feeding-reducers byvariable-speed devices controlling the speed at which they are driven;but this means has not been found reliable nor sufficiently compact andflexible to be practicable.

In our improved form of disintegrator as embodied in a preliminarypositive breaking and grinding apparatus for use in connection with theclass of automatic stokers defined hereinbefore the fuel in itscommercial form not being sufficiently fine to be controlled byfeed-regulating devices is fed into the casing inclosing the initialbreaker in such quantities and at such intervals as will prevent theentire running out of the fuel meantime undergoing preliminary reductionby the initial breaker. The spaces between the adjacent initial breakingand crushing ribs on either the cone or casing and the clearance between.the opposed reciprocal sets of these ribs are amount of fuel deliveredby the secondary grinder is uniformly controlled and regulated bycontrolling the amount received at its in take We have combined in ourimproved form of preliminary reducing apparatus the characteristicadvantages of both the positive feeding type of reducer and the gravityfeeding typeto wit, respectively, fine degree of reduction withoutliability to clogging and controllability of output.

In the following claims we have employed the term a condition ofsubstantially uniform fineness to designate the condition of the fuel asit leaves the secondary grinder. By this language is meant simply thatthe material is reduced to substantially the condition of meal, whereinthe particles are more or less nearly the same size, in contradistinc-'tion to its condition on leaving the initial breaking mechanism, Wheresome particles will necessarily be of considerable size, while otherparticles are extremely minute. This distinction results of necessityfrom the difference in the operations of breaking andof grinding.

What we claim, and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is-

1. In apparatus for preparing fuel and feeding it in a finely-dividedcondition to a furnace, the combination with initial breakingme'chanism,of secondary grinding mechanism receiving the fuel therefromand adapted to reduce it to a condition of substantially uniformfineness, a pulverizing mechanism receiving the fuel from the secondarygrinding mechanism and provided with rotary pulverizing-blades adaptedto further reduce the fuel, and an injecting mechanism for deliveringthe pulverized fuel to the furnace, whereby the Work of the pulverizingmechanism and the power required for operating the apparatus is greatlyreduced, substantially as described.

2. In an apparatus for preparing fuel and feeding it in a finely-dividedcondition to a furnace, the combination with an initial breakingmechanism, of a secondary grinding mechanism receiving the fueltherefrom and adapted to reduce it to a condition of substantiallyuniform fineness, said mechanism ineluding reciprocal devices providedwith means for positively feeding the fuel, a pulverizing mechanismprovided with rotary pulverizing-blades,receiving the fuel from thesecondary grinding mechanism and adapted to further reduce it, and aninjecting mechanism receiving the material from the pulverizingmechanism and adapted to feed it to the furnace, whereby the work of thepulverizing mechanism and the power required to operate the entireapparatus is greatly reduced and whereby the uniform feeding of theinjecting mechanism is insured, substantially as described.

3. In an apparatus for preparing fuel and feeding it in a finely-dividedcondition to a furnace, the combination with initial breaking mechanism,ofa secondarygrinding mechanism receiving the fuel therefrom and adaptedto reduce it to a condition of substantially uniform fineness, injectingmechanism for feeding the fine fuel to a furnace, and a feedregulatingmechanism interposed between the initial breaking mechanism and thesecondary grinding mechanism, for regulating the quantity of fueldelivered to the furnace by the injecting mechanism, substantially asdescribed.

4. In an apparatus for preparing fuel and feeding it in a finely-dividedcondition to a furnace, the combination with initial breaking mechanism,of secondary grinding mechanism receiving the fuel therefrom andprovided with reciprocal devices for producing a positive feed, forreducing the fuel to a condition of substantially uniform fineness andpositively feeding it, and injecting mechanism for feeding the fine fuelto a furnace, whereby the feed of the fuel by said injecting mechanismis rendered uniform by the positive feed of the secondary grindingmechanism, substantially as described.

5. In apparatus for preparing fuel and feeding it in a finely-dividedcondition to a furnace, the combination with initial breaking mechanism,of secondary grinding mechanism receiving the fuel therefrom and adaptedto reduce it to a condition of substantially uniform fineness andprovided with reciprocal devices for positively feeding it, injectingmechanism for feeding the fine fuel to a furnace, and a feed-regulatingmechanism interposed between the initial breaking mechanism and thesecondary grinding mechanism, whereby the quantity delivered by theinjecting mechanism can be regulated and the positive uniform feeding ofsuch regulated quantity is insured, substantially as described.

6. In apparatus for preparing fuel and feeding it in a finely-dividedcondition to a furnace, the combination with an initial breakingmechanism, of a secondary grinding mechanism receivingthe fuel therefromand adapted to reduce it to a condition of substantially uniformfineness, a pulverizing mechanism for still further reducing the fuel,an injecting mechanism for feeding the pulverized material to thefurnace, and a feed-regulating mechanism interposed between the initialbreaking mechanism and the secondary grinding mechanism, for regulatingthe quantity of fuel delivered by the injecting mechanism, substantiallyas described.

7. In apparatus for preparing fuel and feeding it in a finely-dividedcondition to a furnace, the combination with initial breaking mechanism,of secondary grinding mechanism reeeiving the fuel therefrom and adaptedto reduce it to a condition of substantially uniform fineness, andprovided with reciprocal devices for producing a positive feed of thematerial, a pulverizing mechanism recei ving the material from thesecondary grinding mechanism, and adapted to further reduce it, aninjecting mechanism for delivering the fine fuel from the pulverizingmechanism to the furnace, and a feed-regulating mechanism, interposedbetween the initial breaking mechanism and the secondary grindingmechanism for regulating the feed of the fuel by the injectingmechanism, whereby the uniform and positive feed of the regulatedquantity of fuel, by the injecting mechanism is insured, substantiallyas described.

8. In an apparatus for preparing fuel and feeding it in a finely-dividedcondition to a furnace, the combination of a casing and a revolublemember located within the same, said parts being provided withreciprocal initial breaking mechanism, and with reciprocal secondarygrinding mechanism below the same adapted to reduce the fuel to acondition of substantially uniform fineness, a horizontal flange securedto one of said parts interposed between the initial breaking and thesecondary grinding mechanisms, and provided with feeding apertures,adjustable slides for regulating the size of said apertures, sweepssecured to the other of said parts, and extending over said flange, andinjecting mechanism for delivering the finelydivided fuel to a furnace,whereby the quantity delivered by said injector is regulated by saidslides, substantially as described.

9. In an apparatus for preparing fuel, and feeding it in afinely-divided condition to a furnace, the combination of a casing and amember revolubly mounted therein, said parts being provided withreciprocal initial breaking mechanism, and reciprocal grinding mechanismbelow said breaking mechanism for reducing the broken material to acondition of substantially uniform fineness, said grinding mechanismincluding reciprocal parts disposed angularly with respect'to each otheradapted to positively feed the ground fuel, a horizontal flange securedto one of said parts, interposed between the initial breaking and thesecondary grinding mechanisms,and provided with feeding-apertures,adjustable slides for regulating the size of said apertures, apulverizing-chamber below said secondary grinding mechanism, receivingthe fuel therefrom and adapted to further reduce it and an injectingmechanism for feeding the pulverized material to a furnace,substantially as described.

10. In an apparatus for'preparing fuel and feeding it in afinely-divided condition to a furnace, the combination of a casing and arevoluble cone mounted therein, said parts being provided withreciprocal initial breaking devices, and with reciprocal secondarygrinding devices, below the same, said secondary reciprocal grindingdevices having portions disposed angularly with respect to each otheradapted to positively feed the fuel downward, a horizontal flangesecured to said casing between the initial breaking and secondarygrinding devices, and provided with discharge-apertures therein,adjustable slides for regulating the size of said apertures, a series ofsweeps on said cone, extending over said flange, for conveying thebroken material to said apertures, said casing being provided with ahorizontal surface below said secondary grinding devices, having adischarge-aperture therein, sweeps secured to said cone extending oversaid horizontal surface, a pulverizing mechanism receiving the fuel fromsaid discharge-aperture and injecting mechanism receiving said fuel fromthe pulverizing mechanism and delivering it to :a furnace, whereby thefeed of said injecting mechanism is regulated by the said feedregulating slides, and the uniform feed of such regulated quantity offuel is insured, substantially as described.

11. In apparatus for preparing fuel and feeding it in a finely-dividedcondition to a furnace, the combination of the casing and a conerevolubly mounted therein, said parts being provided with reciprocalinitial breaking mechanism, and with reciprocal secondary grindingmechanism below the same, for reducing the material to a condition ofsubstantially uniform fineness, said casing being provided withremovable lateral portions provided on their inner faces, with devicesforming part of the said breaking and grinding mechanisms, when saidremovable portions are in operative position,'and injecting mechanismfor delivering the finely-divided fuel to a furnace, substantially asdescribed.

12. In apparatus-for preparing fuel and feeding it in a finely-dividedcondition to a furnace, the combination of the casing and a conerevolubly mounted therein, said parts being provided with reciprocalinitial breaking mechanism, and with reciprocal secondary grindingmechanism below the same, for reducing the material to a condition ofsubstantially uniform fineness, feed-regulating mechanism interposedbetween the said breaking and grinding mechanisms, said casfurnace, thecombination with initial breaking mechanism, of secondary grindingmechanism located below the same, and provided with reciprocal partsdisposed angularly with respect to each other reciprocal parts adaptedto positively feed the material, and a feedregulating mechanisminterposed between the initial breaking mechanism and the secondarygrinding mechanism whereby the quantity delivered by the secondarygrinding mechanism can be regulated and the positive feed of suchregulated quantity insured, and injecting mechanism for delivering thefinelydivided fuel to a furnace, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatu res in the presence of twowitnesses.

Witnesses:

EDWARD C. ANLA, WILLIAM J. SMITH.

